The One Who Survived
by shibuki1999
Summary: My version of 'Verses Chiro.' This will mostly come from a very special clone's POV. Showing that everyone has a choice to make. Even if you feel you're not the right one to do it. And chapter nine completes it!
1. The capture

The one Who Survived

Chapter 1

It had just been a month since the Hyperforce's last encounter with the Skeleton King. It was midnight to be precise. The stars twinkled brightly under the supervision of a pale silver crescent moon and an ink spilt sky that finished the portrait. The Shuggazoomians of their beloved city were already snuggled down into their warm beds, continuing their long summer nap. Crickets chirped their happy tune in the park fields and fire flies danced through the air.

But on one of the solemn bridges connecting Shuggazoom, a lone form stood. Minions of what looked like small boys, to his size, stood at his side, like dogs waiting for their master to give the signal to start a hunt. This was indeed a hunt. But not for prey to kill as soon as they got their hands on it. No, this was a much better prize. And it would be a fatal trip if not done correctly. The tall bulky figure raised but one finger to the city and the two boys that had stood at his side wandered off into it.

In proper light, the boys were twins. But they came to be twins in a dastardly way. Their walking footsteps were mute, like church mice. They soon came to their destination. The Super Robot. In the moonlight, it looked tall and evil. The soft glow painted shows all over its body, but the young males didn't fear such things. No, they had a better purpose for being there.

One of the twins placed his left hand on the panel to the robot, opening the vault door without so much as a creak. There was a black hallway, repulsing to others but greeting and welcome to them. The lone frames made their way up to the sleeping quarters of the structure's residents. They keep hawk eyes on each of the doors, until stopping at the last one on the left. Now the job would get complicated. One twin stepped into the darkness while the other awaited patiently in the main room. He came out moments later, carrying another boy. He was asleep, no idea of the danger he was now faced with. The boy flinged him over his shoulder, and walked out, but without his twin to follow. Instead, he was changing into their captive's night clothes, and hopping into his bed.

Once out of the city, the lone one walked calmly back to his master, still standing like a statue. "It was a success," the boy carrying the other child stated. "Excellent," the master answered. The male handed the now prisoner to his master, who carefully walked away to an old seemingly run down factory, which was his home. _My brothers have failed to protect him, _the dark master thought, _And they will not even know it.

* * *

Author's Note: Welcome to chapter one! Is it mysterious enough? Just another story I thought of while doing __Time is Strange. _More is being revealed in chapter two! And you wonder why I call myself Chiro's Shadow500? Most of mys tories will center in on him so beware!

I did this in my room, by my computer, with the keyboard.


	2. Cirro

The One Who Survived

Chapter 2

Cirro woke with a start. She sat up quickly from her small pallet on the floor, icy sweat pouring from her face. Cirro's limbs were all shaking from the fright of the dream. But she knew in her soul it was not a dream, but a vision. A very perplexed descriptive vision of the past. Cirro breathed heavily for a few more moments of time, before starting to her enviroment. Cirro's room was more of a cell than a sleeping chamber. It owned nothing but a small cold metal chair, to place Cirro's clothes, a barred window, glass absent from the metal tubing, and a muddy moth riddled cot on the stone floor. Chilling breezes filled the room in giant waves, filling Cirro's lungs with the much needed fresh air. Her oil stained hair drooped long and free to her shoulders, hiding the bare skin from the bitter howl of wind.

Cirro stood up and changed quickly, she didn't want to keep Master Mandarin waiting to begin another day of assisting. Yes, it was true, Cirro was a formless clone. Ruled by Mandarin and bent on whatever her master said. But unlike most of the clones, Cirro was completely different. She had free will. She could feel and understand more things than would have been possible to a clone. Formless, even if they have the DNA of another, were still obedient to the Skeleton King. And their master had ordered them to obey Mandarin, but only while they were under his roof. But Cirro possessed knowledge incapable by most. Cirro had ice blue eyes that sparkled in the light and raven hair that glossed no matter how filthy she was. Cirro only ever wore long slender white pants that were hidden at the waist by a matching skirt/jacket. Sunset orange gloves hid her hands and a scarf did just that to her skinny neck. But the pumpkin mask-like streaks that streamed down her cheeks were jagged and uneven. The female clone twins, Chira and Chiru, often mocked her for this, and the fact she was shorter, younger, and much too skinny to help Mandarin with anything.

Cirro felt worthless on occasion. But the fact that their overlord had never grown tired of her kept Cirro's spirits alive. If it was one thing about Cirro, it was that she never gave up, much like the boy who's DNA she carried. Cirro was often misunderstood by other clones and therefore was alone. And that grew to be much of a nerve buster for the child. But there was one terrible secret Cirro had hidden from her master ever since she was created, it was her heart. Yes, because of her amazing free will she had inherited the good pure heart the boy owned. But wasn't this wrong? Wasn't Cirro supposed to be evil? These thoughts were the ones to break Cirro. She could never understand why, but she had always felt free of Skeleton King. There was no one to control her destiny, heart, mind, soul, or body. But Mandarin would try to help that. For months at a time he would lock her up in a black cell, teaching her his ways. The mutant primate would do his best to keep the outside world and all its glories out of Cirro's head, but no avail. But Cirro hid her emotions and knowledge from him beautifully, enough to make him think his tactics were working. Cirro skipped silently to Mandarin's lab, ready to assist him as her job foretold. You see, the day Mandarin created Cirro he gave her the occupation of being his lab assistant. She would help him with new projects and the experiments on Chiro.

Once Cirro reached the lab, she discovered it empty. The monitors and sets were up and running, but no huge master. Then a thought entered Cirro's head. Without even considering the consequences, Cirro trotted to a large cell window, Chiro's to be precise. The window displayed a lowered level of the factory with the walls painted in some kind of rock. And there he stood at the bottom, hunched up and barely moving. _Get closer to him, _A bold voice said inside her mind. Cirro did as she was told and marched down the lab staires, to the large heavy metal doors. "What do you think you're doing down here, Cirro?" A Chiro clone hissed. This would be easy getting into that cell, even with a guard. Cirro was too clever to let a simple clone out-wit her. "Master Mandarin wants a new test on the prisoner. And we both know what happens if the master doesn't have his way, right?" Cirro spoke in her sweet high voice to convince the clone further. He fell for it. "Very well," the boy replica unlocked the portal and stood aside. The black thing swung open to reveal a darkly lit room. And there curled up in the floor next to the wall, was Chiro. He had his back turned to Cirro, and he was shaking. Chiro was probably cursing Mandarin for locking him up in a freezing cold cell. Cirro felt sorry for him. She carefully sat mutely next to his quivering form and whispered, "I'm sorry. Sorry for all that has happened to you. I' m so sorry for what Master Mandarin has done. I'm just sorry." With that notation, Cirro pulled herself up and skipped out of the room, lighthearted. As if the weight of the world was lifted and evaporated. But as soon as she stepped out of the cell, her high spirits crashed. There stood the ruined orange primates Mandarin, and the clone guard.

They both wore evil smiles, signaling Cirro had been caught. "Good work my clone," Mandarin turned to the guard. Cirro shot death penalty glances at the Chiro clone, who cowered slightly behind their master. If it was one thing or another, it was that almost all the clones feared Cirro. She didn't know why, though. Most of them probably hated her as well because Mandarin favored her most and promoted her to lab assistant. But whenever she pasted any one of her 'brothers' in the halls, they avoided her as best they could. It only made Cirro feel worse about herself. And after only a few days of life, her self esteem had already plunged into darkness. Mandarin carefully approached the clone girl, picking her up and easily restraining her, despite her futile struggles and squirming to freedom. And with that, Mandarin started back to Cirro's cell

* * *

Author's Note: i had orgionaly written this on paper, but this is completely different. More to come for the next chapter! A close up on how Mandarin treats the clones, even if they are on his side. 


	3. Home Life

The One Who Survived

Chapter 3

Chiro looked up into the darkened cell window to find the large figure of Mandarin struggling to hold a small, compared to his size, girl. _Why would a clone even care to do anything other than torture to me? _He thought. Indeed it was a strange concept to Chiro to ponder over. Never had he known a formless could be so nice. But because reasoning with formless was always futile, Chiro had given up trying. Plus, the influence Gibson had given about formless did effect him greatly. But the fact that a clone would dare to say sorry was confusing. Maybe there was more to the clones than meets the eye. But Chiro was in a deep depression of fear for what evil experiment Mandarin had planed next. He knew, however, who's voice had spoken to him. It was that female clone that helped his captor with everything the primate did. He had heard her soft, sweet voice before and, whenever Chiro was being experimented on, the sound of her calmed him down slightly…no matter how much pain he was in.

"Please let me go, Master Mandarin! I'm sorry!" Cirro screamed through the halls. "You, Cirro, have done wrong by talking to the hairless monkey! Now you pay the price for your thoughtless actions!" Mandarin kicked open the solid metal prison door leading to Cirro's cell. Harshly dumping her onto the pallet he said, "If I catch you in my lab without permission again, I'll put you to sleep!" and he slammed the door. Cirro leaned over the poorly made bed and buried her face in the dust painted pillow and started to mutely cry. She knew what Mandarin had said about being put to sleep, and if Cirro was to get it again, that would have been the sixth time that week! Cirro had always wanted to see the outside world, and one time she had almost made it outside the factory, but the mineral Chiro clone caught her and towed her back home. She had received whippings from her master and because the gashes were so deep in her back, Mandarin put her in a tub of ice, to numb the flow of blood. Cirro wasn't in favor of going to sleep, for that was a worse treatment.

First, Mandarin would place Cirro back in the tub of ice, to numb her limbs, which eventually made her fall unconscious. Next, Mandarin would take a surgical knife and cut a section of the formless ooze from Cirro, normally her side. And as soon a Cirro woke up, she'd have to deal with the pain. Cirro had endured that so many times her already scared sides ached. The sun slowly began to sink into the world's sky, painting the warm orange glow all around Cirro. Even though it was spring, the dark of night could still bring the last essence of winter's icy breath upon Cirro, and that was the last thing she needed. But before night even began to make an appearance, Cirro was asleep. And her dream vision was the worst thing she could possibly have.

_/Dream/ _

The mutant called Mandarin stood in his lab of the cloning factory. Many buzzing machines lined the walls and a boy of thirteen hung at the end, struggling at the shackles that restrained him. "Let me go, Mandarin!" he shouted lifting his heavy head towards his captor. "I do not think so, my hairless monkey. You will continue to reside on that wall where I can see you. You'll be placed in a cell soon enough as it is." And with that, Mandarin turned his attention back to the experiment. A giant mass of formless ooze was squirming and bubbling around in an equally large glass containment tank (Like the ones the monkeys were in.) The ruined simian then turned his focus on monitors, which displayed each of the boy's organic systems. "You will be a great success, my unborn clone," he said, talking to the mass of ooze. Without another word to be spoken, Mandarin pressed down circuits, levers, and pulleys, activating the cloning process. This was perfect. The first of the clones to be born was at hand and the beginning of something _great. _The black goop slugged and writhed inside its prison, like it was a wild creature.

Then it began to take shape. Two bubble arms sprouted, as did stubby legs. A head began to form from the top of the mass, and began to twitch slightly. Then the limbs all became skinnier. After the very vague form of body took shape, it began more human-like qualities. It grew hair, fingers, toes, a nose, mouth, eyes, and ears. Then the final stage came. The thing appeared to be curled up in a ball, sleeping. A coat of fair skin enveloped the body and the hair grew black as it split into separate strands. Finger and toe nails grew quickly and the ears grew more complex, much less could be said for the eyes, mouth, and nose. When the whole thing was complete, a girl floated in the tank, deep in hibernation. Mandarin gave out a confused grunt, as this was not what he wanted. He wanted a look alike twin of the boy, as in both males, not male and female. Although the child could really be his twin. She owned long coal black hair and fair skin.

And she would probably expose blue eyes later on. The tank had drained and the female laid on bottom. The creator picked up the girl with extreme caution. But it wasn't enough. One of the girl's feet and an arm bodily fell to the floor with a splatter. _Drat, _thought Mandarin. He slid the child onto a silver examination table and went over to retrieve her fallen limbs. "These will have to be mended back," he muttered under his breath. He spent the next two hours welding and sewing the limbs back to the body so tightly that it was almost impossible to drop a stitch. By now the girl had woken up, but just laid there without so much a wincing at the pain. In her first few hours of life, the girl couldn't feel any pain. The boy was watching everything. "Who is she? I thought you said you were going to make a clone?" he said in short gasps. "She is but a prototype, Chiro. She will become obsolete later on." But the girl gave no sign of hurt for Mandarin's words, for she couldn't understand. As soon as he was done stitching, the mutant cleaned and dried the nude girl off with a towel and dressed her in a raggedy bath robe. "Meet Cirro!" Mandarin laughed out.

_/Dream/_

Cirro was pulled out of her sleeping vision by the golden glow of the sun. Cirro instantly felt uncomfortable with sweat and dust that clamped on her skin. The white paint of her forehead, as part of her natural mask, was more an ivory and the stripes that streamed down her cheeks like tears were a darker orange and looked almost black. Much less could be said for Cirro's clothes, which were now torn and ragged with age and the rough handling. Cirro's hair was no longer glossy, but instead was just onyx with the scent of oil and smoke and uneven split ends. She was a mess! At this point, Cirro didn't know whether to come to the lab without permission again or to wait in her cell until Mandarin came to fetch her. She was just too confused. But her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her door swinging open. "Chira! What do you want?" Cirro asked with a bored and frustrated tone. She REALLY didn't need this right now. "I've just come to see how Mandarin's skinny weakling was doing. Heard you got the boot from the master yesterday," Chira replied in her sweet, but now hateful tone. "Did you come just to annoy me or did you actually have a good reason?" Cirro was making sure she sounded board. If she didn't, Chira might take advantage of it. All the bulky girl did was smirk and went on. "Actually, yes. Chiru and I were wondering…those clothes you're wearing, were they designed for you or did the knitting machine blow up?" By now, Cirro was on her feet and preparing to punch Chira strait in the mouth. But Cirro simply trotted up to the larger female, a blank smile playing across her lips.

"Oh Chira, that is such a cute outfit. It's such a clean cut. I bet it goes with anything…" her voice trailed off. "Of coarse it…" Chira never finished because Cirro had punched Chira square in the face with all her might. Chira gave out a disoriented scream and fell on her butt to the hall floor. "Ha! You know, a black eye really does work with that hideous costume," Cirro coldly said. Chira took a second to catch her breath, then stood up, red in the face. "Cirro you are such a freak!" "Yeah, yeah I am. But you know what someday I might just grow out of that but you, you will never stop being a jerk!" As Chira stood up, she let out a scream of rage and attacked Cirro, toppling her back through the door and into the cell again. As Chira fought fist and foot, Cirro fought tooth and claw. She'd occasionally bite Chira on the ankle or wherever Cirro thought Chira could be weakest at. Other than biting, Cirro would strike her with the pads of her fingers, and because her gloves were torn and several fingers slipped through, the dull finger nails would scratch her.

But Cirro was losing the upper hand, because of her small size, and needed to stop before she was really damaged. Taking the first chance, Cirro bolted upright and shot like a bullet out of the room, leaving a battered Chira behind.

* * *

Author's Note: this is another disclaimer, but not for SRMTHFG. Yes, I don't own them except for Cirro, but the back talking scene between Cirro and Chira, I got that off of the Princess Diaries. Tell me how the third chapter worked for you guys! In other words, R&R! 


	4. My Punishment

The One Who Survived

Chapter 4

Cirro couldn't think anymore. She had been running through the factory for such a long time she forgot even where to go. In truth, all she was doing was letting her formless instincts guide her. Dark cascades of the rock painted halls engulfed Cirro for so long she was completely lost. Lost. That word had haunted Cirro for such a long time. She had been battling both her hearts. The dark side was, of coarse, pressuring Cirro to listen and learn from Mandarin. It had said to her before, "Trust only those that teach you his dark ways." And in a early time of life for Cirro, she was as lost as a very young child and could only find comfort in her dark heart's words.

But as the days past, Cirro's mind grew more open. And that was the breaking point for her other heart. The heart that a boy once, and still, possessed. _Why did this have to happen to me? _Cirro thought as she soared through the halls, passing and pushing down any clone she may of encountered.

"_excellent job, Cirro. See what that bad temper of yours does?" _A toneless voice screamed inside of her.

"_But it wasn't my fault," _Cirro screamed back in her mind. _"Chira was just asking for a fight!" _After a long very pregnant moment of silence, the toneless voice comebacked saying,

"_Oh, poor thoughtless Cirro. Do you not realize Master Mandarin will find out sooner or later? What will you do then? You know he won't tolerate begging…especially for forgiveness. And besides, if he doesn't find you first, he'll find Chira covered in injuries. And her being in your cell won't help." _Cirro knew the voice was right, but what was she to do? She defiantly couldn't go back to her cell. And Chira, as soon as she could find Mandarin, would rat out on her.

Cirro made a left down a mineral tunnel, running into two regular Chiro clones. They were both talking happily, enjoying each others company. But when they both caught the sight of the disoriented girl, the two sucked themselves up against the wall, faces of terror written publicly. But just as before, Cirro didn't mind. It was in her nature to be careless when she wanted to be, and plus her situation helped out a great deal. After about 10 more minutes of running, Cirro collapsed to the floor, to weak to run. Besides, what good was running? Master Mandarin would find her sooner or later even if she ran farther. He would always find her.

"What have I done?" Cirro miserably whispered to herself. She rolled tiredly onto her torso and pushed her face into the cold ground. Cirro felt like crawling under a rock and dying would be the best thing compared to Mandarin's punishment as soon as he found her. And without another action of thought, Cirro started to bawl. She couldn't help it. She knew that her master would torture her for the physical contact of another clone. What would it be this time? Cirro was too smart to think Mandarin would put her to sleep. No, that was mere child's play compared to what she would surly receive. Maybe she'd be forced to swallow molten rock or have to be beaten by a mace or an axe.

"How could I be so foolish?" Cirro bawled out. She was screaming again. And as hard as she would try to muffle the cries, it still came out heavily and loud. The world was now a haze as all Cirro could hear was shouting coming from behind in the hall, getting louder as the owners of the cries came closer.

"H-here t-t-they c-come," She stifled. That just made her cry harder. She struggled to bring air back into her lungs and hiccupped at every attempt.

"Yes, child. Here they come," A familiar voice sturdily said. At recognizing the voice, Cirro froze. She lay there like a slug as Mandarin went on saying, "Now, my dear, you will pay for the crimes you have committed." Mandarin's harsh tone sent the words rolling of his tongue, making Cirro mentally shake in her core. He violently wrapped his gigantic purple hands around Cirro's tiny wrists and pulled her up, getting nothing but a moan of pain from the girl.

"I am terribly sorry it had to be this way. But you chose your own actions, my dear," Mandarin hissed. Cirro did nothing as her master pulled the girl onto his humped back, and carried her off.

Cirro didn't know how long Mandarin was carrying her back, to his lab possibly, but that gave her time to think farther on her punishment. It was very quiet during the walk, Cirro becoming more and more restless which each of Mandarin's heavy footsteps.

"_What will it be this time?" _Her scared mind quietly said. Cirro couldn't think anymore. The stress for what Mandarin had planned for her was taking its toll on Cirro. She wriggled here and there, to shake her sleeping legs awake, and received a slight bump from Mandarin. But soon, the mutant simian had successfully carried his prized clone to his lab. And so began Cirro's torture.

Mandarin harshly dumped the child down on a silver examination table, the touch activated bonds quickly wrapping themselves around Cirro's wrists and ankles. She struggled at her bonds.

"What are you going to do to me, Master Mandarin?" she said in a small frightened tone. Mandarin was gathering supplies from an operating table nearby. Cirro struggled more. "Please master! I must know!" She cried out. Mandarin simply turned on the girl, holding a large jar of blood, just in case. It only made Cirro more anxious.

"This shall be your punishment," Mandarin slugged out. Then, the her master moved back to the operating table, and brought a gleaming saw into Cirro's view.

"No, please!" Cirro cried. This was not the punishment she had hoped, or even knew, about. This would be far worse. And just because her temper had gotten the best of her. So now, Cirro laid there, bloody and injured, and already writhing for escape. Mandarin only gave out a murderous laugh and moved closer, a twisted smile of pure deadly pleasure etched across his face. He softly put the sharp blade across Cirro's torso, and pushed down. For the rest of the endless night, the cloning factory was filled with Cirro's blood curdling screams.

* * *

Author's Notes: This was a masterpiece! Dark in some points, but WAY more serious than the episode. R&R! 


	5. A Cold Dark Night to Read By

The One Who Survived

Chapter 5

She lay in her healing unit, limp and sick. Yesterday's trauma and horror still hung heavily in the air and was still effecting Cirro physically. She was awake, with open eyes staring venomously down upon her creator for the torture she had endured the night before. Cirro glanced over to the other healing unit, which was housing her lower half. Her legs just floated there, hardly moving except for the occasional twitching fit now and then. You see, because Mandarin had cut her lower belly, the other half of Cirro's waist was all that was keeping her legs together.

She had lost a significant amount of blood and Mandarin was forced to use the extra jar. Cirro dared not touch her cut part, which was completely covered by a metal tube that was pumping enough blood into her system. The feeling was numb, as all Cirro's aftermath traumas were, and she had found it difficult to breath. Her formless ooze, however, was getting no treatment and was slowly leaking out of her scared sides, barley noticeable. But what was strange was somehow Cirro could still feel her legs and still had the will to move them, not that she dared.

Cirro just waited. Waited while hearing the rhythmic beeping of her heart monitor outside of the healing chamber. Soon Mandarin would take her out and stuff her back into her cold cell, and after what he thought was a good enough punishment period, he would sew Cirro's lower half back on. It was just that. Cirro spent one more day in the chamber and then was taken out, feeling rather longing for the cold liquid she floated in. Mandarin held Cirro's arms and a regular Chiro clone held her legs, a kind of flirty smile across his lips. Cirro silently swore she'd kill the clone if he did anything to her legs.

Soon, Cirro was greeted by the cool rushing of a breeze on her neck, and without even opening her eyes she knew they had reached her cell. Mandarin was much gentler with her this time. He carefully placed Cirro on her cot and pulled up the blanket. Cirro noticed another, shorter and more stouter, standing cot on the opposite wall, possibly for her legs. Sure enough, the clone had placed the girl's disembodied legs onto the cot, and turned back to their master.

"Now, child," Mandarin started. "you will lie in this cot for at least one more night. Then, I will reassemble you in the morning. I expect you in my lab ready to assist me that afternoon." And with that, Mandarin quietly walked out, but without his clone slave to follow. Instead, the fake Chiro trotted mutely over to Cirro's side, kneeled down and whispered soft words.

"You'll be alright. I know you might be in pain, but you'll just have to bare it." The clone stood up, eyeing Cirro with a soft sheepish grin, as if he was embarrassed by his words, and trotted out of the doorway, slamming the metal barrier. Cirro turned her head from the side to stare at the ceiling. She knew those words the clone had spoke were false. He had probably just done it to soften Cirro up and think Master Mandarin wouldn't be too harsh when she returned to work. Ha! Cirro laughed at herself for being so headstrong. It got her mixed up in pain no one in the universe should've known. But she had. And now Cirro hated the world for dumping her there.

_Why was I to be a clone? _Cirro thought miserably. She had asked that question to Mandarin before, but only received, "You're here because you're here." That was confusing the first time Mandarin had said it. The second time she asked, Mandarin simply gave her a small strike across the face. Cirro never questioned her existence again. She just went on to believe she was only there to assist Mandarin. Nothing more. But that question was exhausting to think about. Cirro would often find herself straining her brain for answers, but no avail. It soon became clear to Cirro that there could be no answer. But it was truly one question Cirro would have to answer on her own.

Cirro looked out of the barred window, to see what time of night it was. It was pretty dark out, and Cirro only let out a content sigh and snuggled deeper into her cot, happy that it was too dark in her cell to see her lower half. Her legs would have probably already gained their mobility, and would be twitching wider and longer, as if they had minds of their own and were getting restless. Because there were no actual lights in her cell, Cirro could easily fall into sleep. When she was newly born, Cirro would trot around in the dark like a bat when she was restless at night and desperately wanted something to do. But Mandarin, of coarse, would lock Cirro's cell at night, much like he did tonight.

Soft, almost invisible, light from the world's moon shown dully into the window. Cirro looked on to the light, her weak aches and pains slowly fading. Cirro always had a mind for knowledge, but never had an experience to properly learn it. And when I say proper, I mean being taught like any other child would. Going to a school and being taught publicly by a teacher with other students. Of coarse, Cirro had to have a brilliant mind to keep her job and Mandarin had taught her all he knew in the scientific world. Which was a lot. And as aggressive and headstrong as Cirro was, she was learning things you might expect a college graduate to know. Any scientist would stand agape at her brilliance, and this would could always prove useful.

With all her strength, Cirro pulled her head to one side of her pillow and reached her sore arm to the pillow. She dug her hand into a tear in the lumpy raggedy thing and felt around in the musty cotton. She found a hard square block in the center of it. Cirro forced the object out of the pillow and stared at it. It was a book. Cirro had sneaked it long ago from Mandarin's lab, eager to read it. But it wasn't a scientifically accurate book on bio-engineering. It was a fantasy book that a young boy around Chiro's age would read. Cirro just figured a Chiro clone that had traveled into the city to destroy the Hyperforce had picked it up and carried it back before he was backfired.

The title was called _Inkspell _and the cover was adorned with pictures of fairies, goblins, a proud sapphire snake, and a few indescribable creatures. All the creatures were hidden in a thick brush that gave way in the middle for a mysterious yellow castle on top of a steep cliff. (A/N: This is one of my favorite books and I'm still reading it, but it's really good.) Cirro recoiled from opening the book, like she was about to release a wild creature into the world. In her mind, Cirro read a note on the cover. "The captivating sequel to _Inkheart, _the critically acclaimed international bestseller."

(that is really on the cover!) Cirro slowly opened to the first page, and began reading.

Time began to slow to a halt as Cirro kept on reading, feeling the words and their meaning as she read. Soon, in no less than an hour, Cirro had finished at least half.

"Oh, how I wish I could have read the first book!" Cirro whispered. The pages' words still banged in her head and made Cirro so happy. Happy was the only way to describe it and she wore a jubilant smile on her lips. Putting the book back in its hiding place, Cirro laid down on the cot, a bit happier at the world. Her legs were kicking and violently swinging on its cot, threatening to break the rickety bed. Cirro sighed at being well-content at the moment. Tomorrow she'd go back to face the world, wiser.


	6. It Starts

The One Who Survived

Chapter 6

Cirro woke feeling refreshed, as if all the pain and suffering she had experienced was but a horrid nightmare. Dull sunlight beamed through the chilly window and filled Cirro's face with warmth. She shut her eyes tight as her vision adjusted to the light and soon opened them fully. A bit of thin ice was clinging to the bottom corners of the cage and already showed signs of defrost. Cirro instinctively wrapped her bare arms around her torso, shivering slightly. But it felt good to be alive for a change. The world suddenly felt like it was worth living in again and Cirro wasn't about to pass the opportunity by.

But then reality struck her. Cirro's lower half still wasn't attached to her person and without her strong legs to support her weight and carry her anywhere, how was she to move anywhere else? Just as before, Cirro still had control over her legs and could move them fully, as if they were attached again. But Cirro felt so happy and free she just had to move, or else the rest of her limbs would grow numb and fall deeply into sleep. Cirro moved her arms to the front sides of the cot and pushed up, with some difficulty because she was still so weak.

Once she was sitting on her butt, Cirro slowly slid the dirty blanket off her skinny torso. Cirro yelped in surprise.

"How in the world?" Cirro burst out. There reunited with her belly were her scrawny legs. They didn't move at all, just laid there. Cirro realized she was probably wearing a goofy smile, but she wouldn't have cared anyways. She had her legs back. She was whole at last. It seemed odd that Cirro that she was so effected just because she was cut in half. It was as if her whole life would give out without them. In truth, if Cirro wasn't a formless clone she would be dead. All that blood loss would've ended her, even with the extra jar of life's fluid to aid.

But that was another thing Cirro hadn't pondered in such a long time. _Why formless? _Cirro thought. Just as she had questioned Mandarin about her existence, Cirro asked Mandarin what she was made of and why. Of coarse, this would be very difficult for her master to explain, but Mandarin couldn't handle all her questions. Cirro's curious nature was too overwhelming so Mandarin never answered her questions, but worked around them with long lectures. This became most irritating to Cirro, but she held her tongue. Cirro would've opted for a quiet answer that wasn't really what she was searching for than a hard slap.

_Master Mandarin must've sewn me back to normal while I was asleep, _Cirro thought. She rolled off the covers and pulled to her feet, a bit clumsy by being back on her toes and in control. A fresh cleaned set of Cirro's uniform drooped from the metal chair, like someone wanted to discard it quickly and found Cirro's cell to be a trashcan. Cirro never understood why Mandarin would go to the trouble to wash her uniform when all it took was a full day in the lab to infest the tattered fabric with oil, chemicals, slime, and a fire's smoke sent engraved deeply on it. Cirro always found the scent of smoke from a burning flame to be very inviting. It indulged her senses and made her feel at home. In Mandarin's lab, a stove was kept ignited to run the factory like clockwork. Cirro, of coarse, rekindled it often and her clumsy disposition caused soot and grime to splatter on her.

Mandarin would just close his eyes, bow his head, and shake it in disapproval. Cirro would react by giving a sheepish grin and hurrying away to her next task. Because it was an actual profession, Cirro worked a limited time period, from the early rise of the sun to its setting position. Food and rest breaks were beyond Cirro during her work, and only ate at night by a small portion of rotting food Mandarin would bring. Cirro looked through the barred windows closely. The orb of light which always hung in the sky was just to the tips of the horizon trees. Time to work.

At dawn every morning, Mandarin would unlock Cirro's cage so she could freely come and go. But what Mandarin didn't know was that Chira and Chiru occasionally would sneak in to her room and play destructive games with the girl or her few personal belongings. Cirro would wake up to find her clothes gone or ripped to shreds and pinned to the walls. Or sometimes Cirro was would be stripped of her clothes and would only have her undergarments on. Which proved Cirro could've froze in her sleep. The coal haired child stepped to the heavy iron handle and snaked her slim fingers around it. She struggled to pull it open and swung her feet up to the right side wall and tugged even harder. Cirro could hear a faint squeak of the rusty hinges and suddenly, with one final tug, the door swept violently across the dirty floor and shooting Cirro to the back wall.

The girl took the blow to her spine, doing everything she could to keep her head out of the blow. Cirro hit the cold wall just below the high window, sledding down miserably.

"Ow…" Cirro moaned. "At least I got the door open," she said to herself. A regular Chiro clone walked by the open doorway, fresh off of the assembly line. Cirro could tell because the clone had sturdy gleaming white and pumpkin clothes, boots with a remarkable sheen, and glossy black hair. He wore a creepy blank smile and he marched from left to right, completely ignoring Cirro's open room. She returned the blank smile and stood up, jerking roughly to ease the pain. Remembering her task, Cirro jumped over her slept-in pallet and dashed down the hall, ever so happy to be back on her sturdy legs again.

The morning had gone by quickly enough. Cirro had brought Mandarin all the genetic cloning books he had asked for during the day's plethora of Chiro making. Then she had refilled the formless tanks to supply the machines with enough material to continue work. The dimly lit lab was difficult to work in as Cirro stood next to the furnace in a corner of the room, poking at the ember logs with a ashy fork and discarding some twigs into the flame. The fire danced and performed for Cirro, as it leaped and jumped sending small embers spewing out to the metal floor before dying.

"Close the furnace, Cirro. You'll set the lab a-spark if you leave it open too long," Mandarin said as he turned from his own work.

"Yes, Master Mandarin," Cirro replied, closing the furnace lid, regretfully. Through the cracks in the lid, Cirro could see the comforting orange glow and reached out a chilled hand to where they just hovered over the lid. Mandarin always kept the lab cool and Cirro got cold feet at all times.

"My child, go and refilter the formless solution," Mandarin ordered. Cirro nodded and bowed as she turned to a back counter with vials of formless spread neatly out. Cirro began to mix all the vials into fat bowl and began to grind the formless. From the back, Cirro could hear screaming, and knew it must be Chiro.

"You can't keep me here forever, Mandarin!" Chiro screamed from his cell. "I'll get out and when I do…!" "Huh, such pale threats," Mandarin interrupted. "You will continue to collect dust in that cage until I decide your fate." The bulky primate finished. _Master Mandarin's been experimenting with that poor boy's genetic blueprint again, _Cirro thought. The way the boy spoke with anger Mandarin didn't take seriously, Cirro did. She knew Chiro was suffering and behind those words the boy was completely scared. Cirro always felt sorry and, if she could, she would break the boy free from her master's torture. After all, she was connected to the boy by blood. Cirro always referred to the other clones as brothers, even Chira and Chiru sisters, no matter how much she hated it. Because they were all born from the DNA of Mandarin's captive and the same formless ooze that came from the Skeleton King's endless pit. But the only thing that Cirro wished was that her brothers had free will like her, and could choose their own paths.

But Cirro's master was in control and Cirro thanked the stars she escaped his dark grip.

"Mandarin!" Skeleton King appeared on the main screen, looking very annoyed.

"Ahh," Mandarin gave a small gasp of surprise and saluted to the dark lord. Cirro squeaked with terror and dived under the counter, shaking like a leaf. Her eyes were shut tight and her legs were pulled up to her chest, hugging them. From the small confidence of her poor hiding spot, Cirro could just barely make out the large screen that once held Chiro's angered face, now holding Skeleton King's. She knew Mandarin was a faithful adherent, but the way he talked was slightly surprising.

"Why haven't you come up with my clone?" SK forced.

"Ahh, just a minor set back, my lord. You will get the perfect Chiro replica by sun down tonight," Mandarin replied. Cirro made a silent gasp and curled up tighter. If Mandarin was to give the SK the _perfect _clone by nightfall, what would become of her and her brothers? Would Mandarin stay at the factory and allow them to live with him like his children? Surely not. Mandarin was no father figure in any kind of way. And Cirro completely understood Mandarin's hatred for her and the others. He only opted to do this to please his master. Cirro covered her ears in attempt to block those disturbing voices, but she was only blocking out the truth.

The disgusting truth that soon, maybe as soon as tomorrow, Cirro and all the clones Mandarin ever gave life to would be exterminated and there was nothing Cirro could do. But the more Cirro thought about it, the more her mind drifted into others' point of views. And then she suddenly realized it. What was to happen to the real Chiro? Surely something horrible. Mandarin wouldn't pass up the opportunity to extinguish the boy that cost him so much grief. Cirro opened her eyes, as if it was to erase all the sorrowful events that were sure to take place. Mandarin was gone. Cirro put her hands down and slowly crawled out of the cabinet. The whole lab was dark except for the lab prison window. This was her opportunity. She could make more of a difference than she thought. And she could start by releasing Chiro.

* * *

Author's Note: Pure rising action. Sorry that was a little bit of a long wait but, I'm working with two very long stories here! Give me a break. _Time is Strange _will be up shortly so look out for it and review. but don't forget this one! Read and tell me how it worked out. 


	7. Release

The One Who Survived

Chapter 7

Cirro was no longer a minion to Mandarin. Because of the _crimes _she was about to commit, she'd would be shunned by her siblings and master. But changing the future would also mean the difference between life and death for Chiro. But Cirro would do this act in secret. She was always good with hiding things. Because of the lack of light in the lab, Cirro couldn't see anything past her own hand if she was looking in the opposite direction. _I need a crowbar, _Cirro thought. A clever move. After her first adventure in Chiro's cell, Mandarin wouldn't falter the use of hiding the swipe card that opened his cage. But where would a crowbar be? Cirro remembered Mandarin keeping all hard metal tools that you'd find in a tool box in a back cabinet. Yes, that was it. Cirro believed it was the cabinet next to the book shelf.

Cirro clumsily walked to the back wall, placing a hand on the lip of the desk and skidding her hand across it for direction. _Go left, _she ordered her brain. Cirro thought she looked pretty farce at this point, walking sideways with her buttocks sticking out like a blind bat. Suddenly Cirro felt the end of the desk and was now reaching out in the dark air, eventually touching feeling a cold handle.

"Gotcha!" Cirro whispered. "One step closer to getting you out of there, Chiro." Cirro lightly tugged at the door, opening it wide. In an instant, a huge heap of crowbars, sledgehammers, saws, and a few power tools came tumbling out from their wooden prison. Cirro stared at the clutter that engulfed her feet like the shallow tide pools along beaches. She bent down at the pile and began rummaging through it to feel a long crane's neck-like tool. It wasn't very hard to discover almost a dozen crowbars, but none the right size. All were too small. Cirro needed a large bar if she was ever going to pry that door open.

By the time Cirro had gone through at least half of the pile, she found a medium sized crowbar. Good enough. She knew getting that door open, or at least ajar, would be difficult. It was at least 2 ½ feet thick. So Cirro felt around for a few power saws and a hammer or two. Now she must've been fully equip. Cirro was totally dedicated into rescuing Chiro. She knew he couldn't get out on his own, even if the Hyperforce were to burst in at that moment. Oh, the Hyperforce. Cirro wondered what it must be like to have creatures who'd care enough about you to come and rescue you. Or to love you and to have a bond that couldn't be broken.

Yes, that was defiantly something Cirro wondered about and wanted. She wanted to see, feel, hear, and know what it would be like. Even if for only a little while. Cirro made her way to the back door of the lab and down the even blacker stairs with nothing but a burnt out bulb hanging at the bottom that could've been her only light. She tripped once or twice but regained poise without fully stumbling and falling to her death. It seemed like time had stopped as she made her way down those cold steps. But in no time flat, the smooth surface of the first level greeted Cirro's heavy ebony boots. She trotted to the door and just flat out dropped everything onto a spot beside her. Cirro would need the room.

She started with the crowbar. Cirro squeezed the arched flat base in between the door and the wall just at the target point of the lock. When she heard a click of metal hitting metal, she pulled sideways. Cirro wrenched and squirmed for release of the door. Lucky for her, the lock was rusty and ancient. No problem. It would be a challenge, however, for Cirro to break the lock. She'd just have to settle with unlocking rather than breaking.

After about three minutes of pulling, Cirro had managed to break the door free of the lock. She heard a loud crack confirming it. Excellent. Cirro had managed to crack the lock in half, much to her delight. Now her job was made easier, but only by a fraction. Cirro picked up the hammer next. The head of the dangerous tool was just the right size to fit between the door and cause damage to the lock. Cirro struck once. The force of a one, very weak, hit was enough to break the lock fully. It snapped into a thousand pieces of metal and scattered everywhere on the floor in sounds that resembled a bell tinkling lightly. The saw was no longer required. Cirro handled the crowbar and wrenched it back to the crack in the door, tugging with all her might. It was working. The soft squeak of the rusty hinges grew louder and louder until the portal popped open, sending Cirro to the floor.

"Oh, that's the second time today!" Cirro whispered through gritted teeth. Ignoring the pain of her decent, Cirro pulled up to two legs and started to the door. She wrapped her hands around the handle, left over right, and pulled gently. The heavy barrier came swinging open. Cirro stared at the cell now. It was completely different from the last time she'd been in there. The stone covered walls had turned black and absolutely no light could be seen anywhere, accept for a small bulb of light cascading from the far corner of the room. Chiro. There, his hunched frame sat with his head buried into his hands. Cirro could just barely make out the cuffs around his wrists and ankles which bonded his hands and feet. In short, he looked miserable. But then again, he had a right to be.

Cirro cautiously made mute steps over to the boy, making sure she didn't startle him.

"I came to release you," she spoke in a hushed yet firm tone. Cirro was determined to get Chiro free, and the only way that was going to happen was to get him to obey and trust her. Chiro looked up, fresh tear tracks running over his mask-like orange streaks.

"Did Mandarin send you to get me for another experiment?" he said Mandarin's name like it was the most accursed thing on the planet. Cirro took another step towards him. Even in his bindings, Chiro could still damage her. She tried again.

"No. My master isn't behind this. I am. And I've come here to free you." Chiro was silent. He stared at her like it was a joke.

"And why should I believe you?" he asked coldly. "You're nothing but a heartless clone." Cirro wore a hurt look for a moment, but then tightened up.

"Please believe me. I truly want to help you. You and I will be killed if we don't work together. Just trust me, okay?" Chiro processed this for a minute. He cocked his head this way and that examining Cirro fully. Then, he let out a sigh.

"Are you really going to help me?" Chiro asked in a agog tone. Cirro could see this talking was taking its toll on Chiro. Feeling a burst of courage, she sat down next to him.

"I just broke the lock on the cell door. Now Mandarin can't lock you back up. Escape is easy. But you'll never make it out of here by yourself. You'll need someone who can get you out of here safely. Someone adroit who knows every hiding spot in this accursed factory." The last part Cirro said to the sky, more on her own as she was more so reflecting to herself. Cirro couldn't see Chiro give a huge grin.

"And I'm guessing that someone would be you?" he asked sarcastically. Cirro returned his smile. Nodding, she got up and walked back to the entrance. The door was still wide open, casting a dim shadow of light in its wake. Sitting on its side was the crowbar, the dull orange paint was scratched off and chipping in places while the once sharp edge was now dull. The crowbar sort of reminded Cirro of herself. It was tattered and beaten like her and looked like it was used one too many times.

Cirro picked the tool up and walked back to a hunkering Chiro. He sat and looked quietly, not protesting or questioning what the device was for. He knew.

"Now, lie down on your stomach," she commanded. Chiro did as he was told and automatically laid his arms out in front of him, the locks of the cuffs facing upward. Cirro knelt down and gently positioned the crowbar's sharp head to the locks, pulling up and swinging down like a batter in a baseball game. It wasn't very hard to break the shackles. One heavy blow to the lock was all it took to release Chiro of his upper bonds. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Chiro recoiling slightly and wincing. "Sorry." She muttered. More metal shards dropped from their tight hold on Chiro's wrists, dropping to the floor at random times.

"Now for your ankles," Cirro said, mostly to herself. Chiro immediately understood and flipped himself over to his back, the locks of his lower bonds facing skyward. She repeated the same procedure, striking hard and fast. The cuffs broke in seconds.

"Thank goodness those cuffs are gone. They were digging into my skin!" Chiro replied.

"Mandarin designed them. I helped with the basic blueprint. He said he wanted restraints that would stop the flow of your powers. I now regret it. I never meant to hurt you," Cirro spoke ashamed of herself. Her tone was low and she hung her head down. Chiro ducked his head down into Cirro's line of vision and looked into her eyes with his own understanding. They didn't need words to understand emotions. No one did. But they were connected by more than just a sense of each other. They were closer than that.

"Well, now that your free, I'd better get you to the exit of the factory. Or I could just keep you here until your teammates come for you. Besides, you'd have a better chance of defeating Mandarin with your friends than alone. As you once said, "Your not as good without all your pieces," Cirro said. Chiro gave her a puzzled look. She now realized there was a lot he needed to learn.

"How did you-?" "Information interflow." Cirro quickly answered. "I was created with all of your memories. I know and understand everything you've experienced and am just as good a fighter as you." Cirro gave a small smile, but then turned quickly to the window looming over them. "C'mon. We need to go. It'll only be a matter of time until Master Mandarin comes back." She stood up to leave, Chiro at her side, into a bomb field. Never knowing what would happen between them getting out safely or letting the whole escape plan crash and burn. But nothing could prepare them for the blaring of the oncoming intruder alert, blaring rapidly throughout the factory. Now it was definatly a bomb field.

* * *

Author's Note: This took only two days to write. Saturday night I began writing it and stayed up until midnight doing only about a quarter of it. The rest I finished sunday. It wasn't that hard. I was really getting into my writer's mojo yesterday so this is probably resembling a actual book. A short book. Yeah, I call it writer's mojo. R&R! 


	8. A Black Ending

The One Who Survived

Chapter 8

Cirro and Chiro were about half-way out of the stairwell when the alarm suddenly grew louder. It was an earsplitting whine that Mandarin had requested and Cirro had designed and built.

"Why is it so loud?" Chiro screamed over the shrill yell of the alarm.

"The alarm system is hooked up to a inferred security grid outside the factory. If the field senses anything alive moving, the alarm in here goes off." Cirro explained. "Because it's been going off for the last couple minutes, the automatic shut off should be kicking in any second." She lead Chiro to the door of the stairwell right when the alarm shut down. _Thank my formless ancestors, _Cirro thought. She cracked open the portal slightly, revealing the same dark lab that she left.

While the main computers were off, a few smaller cloning and surveillance monitors were still on, glowing menacing shows over the south wall. The sound of something mechanical heavily ripping apart metal could be clearly heard from the wall. Obviously, the intruders were attempting to break in through that particular wall. What luck.

"Heh, bet you anything that's your friends trying to break in. Looks like they came for you after all. Well, they'll have quite a party trying. That wall is made out of fifteen different types of the strongest metal ever found," Cirro said. Chiro dropped his grip on Cirro and ran to the wall, punching and kicking with his remaining strength. "That won't help them," Cirro quietly said. "The sediment that has short circuited your powers is still in your bloodstream. Plus, it's draining your energy." Chiro didn't respond. He stopped his feverish pounding after a few more hits and pushed his chest up to the wall, sliding down miserably.

Cirro cast him a look of sympathy. He just sat there curled into a ball, weeping loudly. Cirro walked to Chiro, kneeling down next to him and patting his back.

"It'll be alright," she soothed. Cirro pulled the crying boy into a hug and stood there for a moment, having the unbearable destruction of the wall behind her going on and calming down a scared, suffering boy. Chiro pulled Cirro in tighter and squeezed her bandaged torso, crying into her torn shirt. To a person who wouldn't of understood what was going on, it would've seemed sappy and weak for a teenage boy to be crying. But they also say there are strength in numbers. And after a few moments of letting all those evils sink in, Cirro started to bawl. She landed her face gently on Chiro's back and let the warm tears fall.

Cirro let all the horror of her life fall from her tears like a cloud that sheds the water it carries. _Things will never be the same, _she thought. _I'm not Cirro the lab assistant. Nor am I Cirro the pushover. I'll never be harassed by Chira and Chiru again. And I'll never do anything for Mandarin again. I have no master. _The noise was getting louder. The more fluently it became, the more the formless girl feared. But she couldn't move. Chiro had her locked in a death grip, as if they were about to die. Cirro then realized she had forgotten _Inkspell. _The book was surely to be found and burned. And Cirro desperately wanted to retrieve it and open the crumbling pages again, but she couldn't.

But there was no time for the next scenes of events. An amazing crash of sound exploded from behind Cirro, causing her to grip Chiro tightly and crouch down farther. Thick dust clouded Cirro's mind as she coughed up the particles. Metal rubble of all sizes hit Cirro in the back and on her legs. By the time it had stopped pelting, she had enough bruises to last a lifetime.

"Chiro?" a frightened female voice echoed through the mess. "Chiro, if you can hear me please say something!" the voice screamed. Chiro writhed in Cirro's arms, trying to summon the energy to speak.

"No, Chiro. You're still too weak to move or speak," Cirro whispered. Chiro just hugged her tighter. She dared not opened her eyes, but could hear the sound of robotic feet trampling over the debris.

"Chiro, please. We don't want to lose you. Please say something!" this time the voice sounded like it was on the verge of tears. Feeling an ounce of courage in her, Cirro opened her eyes and cocked her head towards the voices. Five child-sized cybernetic monkeys stood in a group, each with expressions of worry etched clearly on their faces. They were the most beautiful creatures Cirro had ever seen. Their metal parts were glossy and full of sheen while their fur covered parts were silky. Cirro instantly wondered what it would be like to pet one.

The green and blue ones had weapons instead of hands. The green one held glowing energy saws while the other had large drills. Both were spinning dangerously. Cirro instinctively became afraid and ducked back into Chiro.

"I don't see him, Nova. This is probably the lab," a British voice said.

"No!" the feminine voice yelled. "He's got to be…" the voice stopped and was replaced with a screech. Feeling tiny twinges of courage creeping up on her again, Cirro looked up to the creatures again. They all held looks of pure horror as each one was staring…at her.

"That thing's got Chiro!" the red one screamed. In an instant, the monkeys all activated their weapons and advanced. Cirro didn't know how long the attack was. Maybe a few minutes, but it was plenty of time for the robots to severely injure her. Cirro was ripped from Chiro and was flipped to a corner. Two split from the group advancing on her to help Chiro. They all had demonic looks of hate in their eyes. A gleaming silver one loomed in Cirro's fading vision, purple claws out to deliver the final blow. It raised a single hand and shot it down to Cirro. She closed her eyes and waited.

"Monkey Mind Scream!" the voice of her master banged into the lab, followed by the long wail of a monkey in pain. Cirro opened her eyes slightly to see the large fleshy frame of Mandarin beating the Hyperforce one by one. "Ah, my brothers. I see you have not faltered to save your Chosen One. But it is so unfortunate you will be destroyed." Mandarin did not make a move to pounce when all the Hyperforce members stood a good distance away. Instead he turned his crooked attention to Cirro, who laid there torn and ragged. She was struggling just to stay conscious.

Cirro looked around to all the other bodies. The monkeys all stood in a defense circle around Mandarin, beaten but able to fight. Chiro was standing in the middle, a sad longing glance staring to Cirro.

Mandarin caught the gesture. "So, you have met my lab assistant? Cirro is a very naughty clone for releasing you, Chiro. But she is about to correct that wrong all by herself." Mandarin raised a single hand, lifting Cirro off the ground by supernatural power. "Now, my formless clone, you will complete the mission in which you were created for." Mandarin gritted his hand into a fist, sending spasms of pain and energy into Cirro's exhausted muscles. It felt as if an inner power of epic fire had been awakened. And Cirro just hung there by meditative power, changing. Her skin grew dark, much darker than its normal albino color. It turned a dark gray and eventually became a black…formless black.

Then, her eyes lost their onyx pupils and became a cold icy blue. The back of Cirro's shirt tore open because of long ebony tendrils that sprouted, three on each of her sides. They resembled bat wings made to fit a human, but without the flap of skin in between. Her teeth became long, sharp, heavy fangs. After the whole process was done, Mandarin dropped the now demon child.

"Now, destroy the Hyperforce!" Mandarin laughed evilly as if watching the most gory thing would be pleasurable. Cirro fought the urge to tear the monkey team limb from limb until she gave in. She was just too tired to fight it.

"Cirro, no. You don't have to do this," Chiro said. "You're not mindless and you don't have to follow Mandarin's will. You are the only one who can make a decision!" Cirro's hands shed their gloves and braded into long whips, made for slashing deep gashes in flesh. She lunged at Antauri first. Cirro whipped the ends towards the silver monkey, slashing his black belly before he had a chance to move.

"I'm sorry, Chiro," she whispered. Cirro then lost control. Even though she was still conscious, her body was no longer her own. Mandarin was controlling everything in his mind. Using her tendrils, Cirro lifted herself up above the monkey team, and shot her left whip to Otto. The little green mechanic dodged the slash well enough, with only a small scratch on his arm. Nova was next. Cirro shot her whip, twisting it around Nova, and began to squeeze her like a snake. Cirro could just barely see Gibson running up behind her, drills at the ready. She pulled one tendril out from under her weight and pushed it into Gibson's belly, restraining the scientist to the ground.

"Whirling Destucto Saws!" Otto fired his spinning saws towards Cirro's back, grazing it enough to draw her ooze. It was enough for Cirro to lose her grip on Nova and Gibson. But as the formless clone fought the monkeys, she couldn't see Chiro just standing there, staring in horror at Cirro's actions. He wouldn't fight the being that had saved him. Even if it was costing his friends. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. Nova caught him. "Chiro! What are you doing?" At the sound of the boy's name, Cirro forgot everything._ Chiro?_ She looked to the boy's position. He was just standing there, doing nothing. Not moving anything, no powers out to help. Cirro just slightly thought Chiro might have been suffering from the sediment still.

Chiro calmly took a few steps forward in Cirro's direction. He put his hands up in surrender.

"Cirro," he addressed. "I'm begging you. Don't do this. You don't have to. Mandarin isn't the one to control you. Everyone had a choice to make. Even you. Even if you feel your not the right one to do it." Chiro took a few more steps towards Cirro. She slowly lowered her body and Chiro swore he could see her skin becoming lighter. "You do have a meaning on this planet. You do have a purpose. Cirro, please just make a choice. I won't fight you, whatever your decision." Chiro held his hands up higher, proving his surrender. The monkey team was in shock. And apparently Mandarin was also.

He stood there with his mouth wide and his eyes reflecting absurd looks. He was dumbstruck. He couldn't believe his perfect clone could be swindled so easily. Cirro's boots touched ground, with her skin growing ever lighter. But something suddenly clicked in Cirro's mind. It was that annoying voice again. _Chiro is right. You shouldn't fight the Hyperforce. They didn't do anything. But Mandarin has done more to you than anything. He had abused and mistreated you. He's the reason you're in so much pain. And what goes around, comes around. _Cirro didn't falter to refuse the voice, she was too intoxicated to do otherwise. Instead, she let the voice lead her to think what it said was right. Mandarin did deserve all the horrible things Cirro had endured. And now she was determined to destroy him.

Gradually, Cirro's skin turned black again. Her tendrils grew longer and her eyes were more dark and cold. She turned on Mandarin, who stood there like a coward. Cirro's fangs stuck out like a vampire's. She must've looked like something out of a horror movie. And she was. Cirro stretched all her tendrils to Mandarin, hitting him to the wall. But, unfortunately, the large frame had hit the self-destruct lever that had been left by the previous owners of the factory. Cirro had doomed them all. Her whips made their way around Mandarin's torso, and began to squeeze him mercilessly. The orange primate was turning blue.

"You lied to me!" she roared. It only made Cirro squeeze tighter. "I thought you were my master. The one who was supposed to take care of me! Not cut me up into pieces. The only reason I stuck it out was because I thought you could change. But I guess I'm just to foolish to see reality." Cirro was choked up in tears when she said the last part. She really wanted to be dedicated to Mandarin because she thought it would bring her the chance of a father. Or at least a father-figure. Just someone who would take care of her and never let Cirro get into harm's way. But with Mandarin it was the opposite.

The self-destruct alarm had gone off, this one much louder and annoying. A gigantic red light began a disturbing pattern and through the walls you could scarcely hear the sounds of freaked out clones running a muck in the docking bay. The ceiling was crumbling as less could be said for the walls. The metal floor cracked and ran long streaks towards everyone. In short, the place was nothing but hell. Cirro continued to push force on Mandarin, him growing bluer every second. And then…

Crack! The loud sound of marrow and bone breaking in two could sickly be heard. Cirro fixed her gaze more sternly on Mandarin. He was sitting there still. She could no longer feel his pulse, nor his struggling breaths. Cirro had killed him. With tears choking up her eyes and the wind caught in her throat, Cirro released her lifeless master. Behind her, she could faintly hear the voices of the Hyperforce.

"We've got to get out of here! The whole freakin' place is going to blow!" SPRX-77 shouted from behind. They five forms made moved to leave, until Nova caught Chiro, still standing on the spot, staring at Cirro. Before Nova could grab a hold of the boy and drag him to the safety of the robot, Chiro calmly walked to Cirro, placing a hand to her shoulder.

"It's time to leave," he whispered. Cirro was mute and stood like stone, like she was paralyzed at killing.

"No," she breathed, wasting the gasp of air she had been holding. Chiro recoiled his hand and stepped a few meters back.

"No?! You'll die if you stay here! And do you really want this?" Chiro screamed. Cirro paused herself and then moved stiffly into Chiro's line of vision. "I want to be with my brothers…and father. Please understand my choice. You said once everyone had a choice to make. Even if they're not the right ones. Who knows, maybe our paths will cross again." Cirro flashed Chiro a sweet smile, the one he had seen so often during experiments. "Please trust me?" she breathed. Chiro wrinkled his brow and took Cirro's chin in his hands. Without a word, he kissed the formless girl softly on the cheek and said, "I love you…sister." And Chiro left with his family, never to look back.

Chiro and the monkeys made their way out of the passageway the monkeys had made. The arch overhead was relieved of pressure of holding a collapsing building and let gravity take it to the bottom, nearly crushing Chiro. He slipped and dived for the being ahead of him…Nova. As Chiro was chunked to the ground, his companions formed a protective circle around their leader and carted him the rest of the way to a small sand hill a safe distance away from the crumbling factory.

Chiro had just enough time to see the whole building collapse and fall to the ground in a pile of metal. They all could just barely see a huge puddle of formless ooze slinking around the metal heap.

"You're gone," Chiro blurted out through heavy tears. "You're gone. You had to be the big stupid hero. It just had to be YOU!" Chiro cried out before passing out, and falling into the waiting arms of his family. The colorful primates carried their injured leader towards the Super Robot. And away from all the death.

* * *

Author's Note: What a tragic ending to the unlucky Cirro. Please note this is not the ending chapter. I didn't miscalculate, but the next chap is foreshadowing the sequal, _The Road to Freedom. _Keep an eye out for it once I offically declair this book is done. 


	9. Epilogue

The One Who Survived

Chapter 9

Thick mysterious mist and fog blanketed the planet of Shuggazoom. The metal streets of its capital were deserted and deathly quiet. Even the Super Robot in the middle of the steel metropolis was strangely mute. Nothing stirred a hair on the outside. The towering giant just stood there with that blank expression. But, just a few meters on the outskirts of the city, a heap of sharp metal pipes, poles, barrels, and broken, utterly fried, computers and all kinds of technology stood. And the whole grouping of rubble was coated in a thick ebony goo that coated and engulfed the metal. Some of it was steaming while hanging off of the odd pole sticking up in the clutter.

Under the clutter, a big, bulky arm laid, the flesh cold and lifeless. This wasn't a burial ground, but no one would want to give the passed on soul a proper funeral. The soiled ground was quiet, until the faint small sound of footsteps could be heard. Out of the mist came a holographic projection of the Skeleton King, two of his formless minions on his sides.

"Fool," snapped the warlord. "What a fool indeed. Defeated by the Hyperforce for the last time, I see." The Skeleton King went back to death glares, for he only had eyes for his dead servant. That way, he did not see the pair of shining blue eyes peeking at him from under a tent of fallen metal. The creature dared not move, but looked on to see what would befall the dead primate.

"Get the fool back to the Citadel to swab him for the last DNA." The dark creature addressed his formless. They did not respond, but slowly bent down to take the lifeless body by the arms. It would've seemed impossible for even the strongest man to pull the body out, seeing just how far wedged it was. But the formless seemed to have no trouble. The small, dirty creature still watched from its save haven while watching the formless even more closely. It, or _she, _was utterly fascinated by them. After all, she was formless too. Only an off brand.

She waited for a minute until the Skeleton King left with his twin minions dragging the lifeless body of her former master. It was over. When the cold footsteps died away, the girl wriggled out from her hiding spot to look around. Disgusting formless ooze coated the metal mess, while low mist filtered in on the ground and air. She was alone. Alone with her dead brothers who never got a chance to see the outside world. The girl could take no more as she slid down to her knees and began to cry loudly into the mushy ground.

They were mute cries, but they seemed just as real to the child. The girl stood up, her torn clothes utterly useless for warmth, and made her quiet way out of the bomb field. She was alone and only a child. Orphan was what humans called children without parents or a home. And orphans went to orphanages. But she had no time to think about that. As the orphan girl walked trough the clutter, she stopped short when her heavy black boot touched something soft. Unusual. The ground was hard and crusty. But the thing she had was a pillow. Torn, ragged, formless ooze covering part, and the faint outline of tear stains from a young girl. It was her pillow.

The child reached down to the pillow and gently dug her hands into its case, pulling out a fat book. It was in the perfect condition that she left. She gave the book a sympathetic glance and hugged it, while walking farther into the mist. She knew the troubles and dangers of the city, but it was her home now. She'd make the best of it. Her name is Cirro, formless clone set free by fate and sentenced to orphan hood. Now alone and lost.

* * *

Author's Note: WOO! The ending of my second story! I can't wait to post the sequal. It shall be up as soon as I can get a basic outline and plot for it. I have a vauge idea, but I still need to buff it up a bit. Thank you for reading! 


End file.
